Speaking Friday at the White House, the president ordered Salazar to "report back to me in 30 days" on any "precautions in technologies" needed to prevent such accidents in the future.

"We're going to make sure that any leases going forward have those safeguards," Obama said. "We've also dispatched teams to the Gulf Coast to inspect all deep-water rigs and platforms to address safety concerns."

soundoff(57 Responses)

Tina

I was watching the news this morning and had an off the wall thought about how to help with the oil spill.
I have high cholesterol and my doc told me to eat oatmeal. If our bodies are made up of mostly water and eating oatmeal attracts and soaks up the oil in our body. Couldn't we use the Styrofoam barriers and dump massive amounts of oatmeal and then use a strainer of some kind? I know it a far out there thought but isn’t that what we need to think outside the norm for this? Plus, its is environmentally safe.
Someone needs to contact Quaker Oats to save the oceans cholesterol

April 30, 2010 01:40 pm at 1:40 pm |

Pragmatic

Unashamedly Loving America April 30th, 2010 12:37 pm ET

Now honestly, did anyone expect anything any different from "the annointed one" ? It is straight out of the Rham/Chicago Thug playbook: "never waste a crisis"......

***********************************

Which is why Bush went west to a republican fundraiser rather than to New Orleans just after Katrina ...

Its a crises, dimwhit! Real presidents respond to a crises! You'd be the first in line complaining if President Obama wasn't doing anything!

April 30, 2010 01:41 pm at 1:41 pm |

al in memphis

Based on some of these comments, it is clear some of you think it is the president or vice-presidents job to go out there and inspect these oil rigs to prevent these type situations.
We can't have it both ways when we want government to stay out of business until they get in trouble by not being responsible every step of the way.

Why should any company be in type business unless they are equipped to handle or prevent these type diasters.

April 30, 2010 01:48 pm at 1:48 pm |

Hows that oil slick coming along drillers?

I love how Limbaugh is trying to turn this and blame it on the President.I hope he can smell it from his house in Miami Beach and it flows into his backyard,the lowlife scumbag.

April 30, 2010 01:57 pm at 1:57 pm |

marcia

He doesn't care about that spill.
He cares about his friends at BP!!!

April 30, 2010 01:57 pm at 1:57 pm |

Get used to it

The Oraitor in Chief has spoken...........and bow please.

He only waited eight days...........

April 30, 2010 02:05 pm at 2:05 pm |

payback

....As I commented early, and it did not get posted...Before you right-winger. Try and place blame on Obama. BP claimed, they had it under control. They also said, "WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' REGULATIONS'. A few weeks ago in New Orleans. During her speech there. Your, right-wing, goddess. 'silly sarah, said, 'DRILL, BABY, DRILL. And not "STALL, BABY,STALL"..............................

April 30, 2010 02:06 pm at 2:06 pm |

Anonymous

Dear What The!,

If I recall, President Obama last month, was okaying off-shore drilling to support our energy needs but this is only one step in securing our energy needs. Included was, wind energy, solar energy, battery technology(which he brought proof today with the introduction of a company in Michigan that just opened), clean coal technology(which I disagree with) and nuclear power.

I also recall, Sarah Palin saying the day after that "we must stop all the studies and Drill Baby Drill the technologies are better rhan ever".

I haven't heard from EX governor Palin on this terrible problem in the Gulf. Why? She would not know what to do that's why.

April 30, 2010 02:07 pm at 2:07 pm |

Randolph Carter, I'm no expert but...

Unashamedly Loving America April 30th, 2010 12:37 pm ET

"Now honestly, did anyone expect anything any different from "the annointed one" ? It is straight out of the Rham/Chicago Thug playbook: "never waste a crisis"........
All of you Liberal Dems want to attempt saying; "Obama is no socialists, he is a freedom/liberty loving American". How can you still yet say/believe that???? Every time he opens his mouth, it is something to either (1) Lie or (2) Promote his and his Liberal cronies Left-Wing agenda.
Listen to me and listen carefully; give this socialist another term with control of this country and we will no longer be the freedom loving, God fearing, Liberty defending, Captilistic nation our forefathers intended us to be and what we have always been. We will be turned into a combination of UK/France/Venzezuela.....and that is exactly what the "progressives" want.......until they have it! Isn't is amazing that all the Liberals want everyone to have a level of wealth where "at some point they have made enough"......UNTIL it is "their" wealth in question?"

Socialist? Left wing liberal? Really? Then perhaps you can explain to us why the real socialists in this country are so upset and disappointed with him. Come on, put on your thinking cap. No fair getting the answer from Fox. Have a nice day!

P.S. Show me any original document you can find wherein the "founding fathers" specify that this nation be either Christian or capitalistic.

April 30, 2010 02:08 pm at 2:08 pm |

Accountability In American Society

Oil companies have earned RECORD PROFITS.

We should REQUIRE all current, older generation wells be refitted with the new valves that the Oil Industry claims would have prevented this crisis.

I think all, EVERY SINGLE ONE, ot the Palin for Pres, TeaPee-er crowd should volunteer to go help clean up the spill! C'mon, you so crazed with your shouts of "drill baby drill" . . . .how about helping to clean up the "spill baby spill"???

April 30, 2010 02:14 pm at 2:14 pm |

Another 'Libtard'

Wow, it is not hard to find blind hatred on this comment board at all. Can any of you ever give this president credit where it is deserved? I am sure that all of you can understand that yes, not everybody is riding the same horse, but have you ever thought that perhaps it is not going to kill you to ride someone elses? You don't have to adopt it as your own but maybe you would see that it rides maybe as well or better than your horse. The person that is able to find the formula to unfog some of these people's minds and their brainwashing will be our modern day messiah, and obviously it can never be a black man. Really can you not understand that you all speak for indivdual liberty, but have all in sense lost complete control of your number one personal liberty, which is freedom of thought? Where are your own ideas? Please, come up with something that I did not listen to on Fox News last night (yes I watch both Fox News AND msnbc and everything in between). Do you not understand why the media is 95% 'liberal?' Because only 5%, Fox News, headlines the exact same news, but then twist and turn it until it barely resmebles a fact and claim it to be 'the truth.' They speak for you, you do not control your own thoughts, for example you would not hate on 'Obamacare,' considering you are the supporters the same ideas in 1993 when the Republicans proposal countered an actual socialist agenda with Clinton's push for Universal Healthcare. Where was the outrage then? And you wonder why we call you a bunch of redneck racists. Most of us liberals (somehow an evil word) yes support an even playing field to allow the Jackie Robinson's of the world play ball, but we never will allow thought processes to be interrupted and yes we also believe in America, and freedom so don't go calling yourselves the quote unquote true Americans. I find it highly insulting that a Democratic process ELECTED the people to govern this country, yet you act as if America can fail in its checks and balances, which to me makes you the most unAmerican of the bunch. Please, pull your heads out of your tail ends and create an individual thought, because that is what true liberty entails. (for future response to those who will cloak behind your answer that I am probably just another 'lazy, dope smoking' liberal, I work full-time and am majoring in bioengineering, not an elitist, just an idealist)

April 30, 2010 02:15 pm at 2:15 pm |

unconcerned citizen

Sarah Palin is an idiot I agree. But how is this her fault? Uneducated nonsense. I believe Obama just recently was braying on and on about off shore drilling. Why don't you focus your low I.Q. comments toward your savior?

April 30, 2010 02:17 pm at 2:17 pm |

Wisconsinite

Franklin April 30th, 2010 12:11 pm ET

This happened last week. And action is just being taken now?!Obamessiah is handling this incident worst than Bush handled Katrina, and the press is not reporting it AT ALL!

Take your head out of your arse and try to keep up with the REAL news, Franklin. This is just the LATEST action the President is taking with regard to the oil spill, not the FIRST. Jeeeesh . . . .any chance to make an ignorant comment, right?

April 30, 2010 02:20 pm at 2:20 pm |

Victim of GOP Taliban

How that we don't need any more studies, spill baby spill thingy working out for you Wingnuts? You betcha! Largest oil spill in U.S. history this is looking like – even larger than when the drunk supertanker crashed into Sarah's reef.

April 30, 2010 02:24 pm at 2:24 pm |

dgwilson429

Obama is an affirmative action recipient.
he knows nothing about business much less the oil business.

he should go back to his room and have no further access to the media.

April 30, 2010 02:24 pm at 2:24 pm |

elo

Slam it into the faces of all the neo-con drill baby drillers.

April 30, 2010 02:35 pm at 2:35 pm |

mike

were are the repubs on spill baby spill what happen to sub sea tech
crap that was shove down the voters face and the same goes for
the mining companies that is one reason why americans do not
want to do manuel labor because of crap like this leave it to the
mexicans oh wait a minute not any more

April 30, 2010 02:36 pm at 2:36 pm |

elo

Unashamedly Loving America is obviously not Loving America. He/she needs to crawl out of the trailer park and sign up for a passport (probably never been out of the US) and see whats going on in the world.

Darn Injuns! Im glad we got rid on em! Dad Gum!

April 30, 2010 02:38 pm at 2:38 pm |

tanyia

The company said that they could clean the mess up last week and that is why the President did not send in the calvary.

To all the idiots that chanted drill baby drill. I demand you come to our shores and help to clean up this mess!

April 30, 2010 02:41 pm at 2:41 pm |

Annie, Atlanta

What's to review. We make laws to protect our environment. These energy companies find the laws not to their liking (read cuts into profits) and lobby against them, and bribe if need be to have us turn a blind eye, and then this happens? What's to review. I just gave you the review. Stop giving corporations the power to ignore our safety and environmental standards. And tighten them to see that this doesn't happen again.

You can't drill a mile down in the oceans and seas of this world without a backup plan if something goes wrong, so stop it. Lets find ways to wean ourselves off of oil. The wind and sun are there for the taking, day in and day out. Might even stimulate the economy to turn in that direction. What a thought.

April 30, 2010 03:06 pm at 3:06 pm |

bess

this has gotta be the first time Obama didn't blame Bush for something. oh, wait. the 'review' isn't in yet.

April 30, 2010 03:23 pm at 3:23 pm |

Annie, Atlanta

Unashamedly Loving America – you're just a whole mess of Republican Noise Machine talking points, aren't you? OMG, Socialism has come to America! Grab your guns! What do you think it is when we pay taxes for services? Streets, Clean Air and Water, Food, Education, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the list goes on and on. The internet is an incredible source of information, there for the taking – do yourself a favor and take some.

And did you ever wonder why, in countries like France and the UK, with socialized medicine, the citizens are healthier? That coverage from cradle to grave isn't such a bad idea. I hate the fact the we're moving backward as the rest of the world is moving forward and leaving us in their dust because of people who think like you.

April 30, 2010 03:24 pm at 3:24 pm |

Abe

The Great Obama needs to get on this. Whats the hold up? We are about to get oil all over the coastline. They knew this wasn't contained and lied about it.